Looking back on Air Transat Flight TS236

On the 24th of August 2001 an Air Transat flight was traveling from Toronto-Pearson International Airport, ON (YYZ/CYYZ) to Lisboa-Portela de Sacavém Airport (LIS/LPPT) when the crew became aware of a fuel imbalance between the left and right-wing main fuel tanks. Five minutes later, the crew concerned about the lower-than-expected fuel quantity indication, decided to divert to Lajes Airport (TER/LPLA) in the Azores. After running checks, the crew ascertained that a fuel leak could be the reason for the possible fuel loss, an emergency was declared to Santa Maria Oceanic Control. At 06:13, at a calculated distance of 135 miles from Lajes, the right engine flamed out. At 06:26, when the aircraft was about 85 nm from Lajes and at an altitude of about FL345, the left engine flamed out. At 06:39 the aircraft was at 13,000 feet and 8 miles from the threshold of runway 33. An engines-out visual approach was carried out and the aircraft landed on runway 33. Eight of the plane's ten tyres burst during the landing. 

An investigation revealed that the primary causal factors of the accident were crew actions in mishandling a fuel leak in the number two engine.

The fuel leak resulted from fitment of an incorrect part to the hydraulics system by Air Transat maintenance staff as part of routine maintenance. The engine had been replaced with a spare engine, lent by Rolls-Royce, from an older model which did not include a hydraulic pump. Despite the lead mechanic's concerns, Air Transat authorized the use of apart from a similar engine, an adaptation that did not maintain adequate clearance between the hydraulic lines and the fuel line. This lack of clearance, of the order of millimetres from the intended part, allowed chafing between the lines to rupture the fuel line, causing the leak.

Air Transat took responsibility for the accident and was fined C$250,000 by the Canadian government, a penalty that, as of 2009, was the largest in Canadian history. The pilots were celebrated as heroes by the Canadian press for their successful unpowered landing. In 2002, Captain Piché received the Superior Airmanship Award from the Air Line Pilots' Association.

This is the world's longest passenger aircraft glide without engines, gliding for nearly 65 nautical miles (120 km; 75 miles). Following this unusual aviation accident, this aircraft was nicknamed the "Azores Glider".


Aircraft Information:
Airline: Air Transat 
Code: TS/TSC

Aircraft: Airbus A330-243

Registration: C-GITS
Serial Number: 271
Engines: 2 x Rolls-Royce Trent 772B
First Flew: 17/03/1999
Age: 2.5 Years